Spirited Away Fan Fiction ❯ The Winds of Fate ❯ First Moves ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away.

 

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Chapter 3

 

First Moves

 

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Haku stared down at the parchment lying on the desk in front of him, the words etching themselves in his mind. He found he could not tear his eyes away from them; it was as if they had cast a spell over him that he was unable to break.

 

Haku had spent the better part of three days and nights studying the parchment and translating it. He had a rough knowledge of the demonic language and their runes, but it wasn't comprehensive enough to decipher the riddles presented on the ancient paper; thus his reference guide: A Study of Demonic Runes. But due to the fair amount of referencing required, translating the parchment had taken longer than expected.

 

Lin had looked in on him several times, bringing tea and other pick-me-ups after she had learned what he was doing. He appreciated the brunette's help and vaguely wondered how he had ever gotten along without her assistance; bringing him together with her had been the result of her time at the bathhouse; because of Chihiro.

 

The thought of the human girl snapped Haku out of his reverie. He blinked and looked down at the parchment once more, eyes scanning over the document, making sure he hadn't made any mistakes.

 

The dragon looked up at the sound of a knock at his chamber door. With a lazy flick of his wrist, the door opened and Lin walked in. She blinked when she saw him leaning back in his chair.

 

“Quite the gentleman; opening doors for ladies,” she teased but backed off when she saw the dragon was in no mood for it. “What is it?” she asked more soberly.

 

Haku picked up the parchment and held it up for her to read over for herself. Lin made her way to the desk, took the parchment, and sat down. She read the dragon's scrawling script, her eyes widening slightly as she reached the end. The brunette blinked and looked back up at Haku, who had been waiting for her reaction.

 

“What do you make of it?” the dragon asked.

 

“It sounds like a prophecy,” Lin replied, looking back down at the parchment.

 

Haku nodded. “That's what I thought as well.”

 

Lin scanned over the parchment again, eyes coming to rest of the same spot that was bothering Haku. “Do you think this is why the demons are moving now?”

 

He frowned. “I think it's a good bet.”

 

“What will you do?” Lin asked. Spirits were notoriously superstitious beings and many wars had been fought over prophecies and the like.

 

Haku sighed. “I have to go speak with the king.”

 

“Can you get an audience on such short notice?” the brunette asked in surprise.

 

Haku's smile accentuated his fangs. “I'm well known enough that he'll make time to hear what I have to tell him. Besides, it concerns his family history as well.”

 

“What can the king do even knowing this?”

 

“Protect the borders to the human world more efficiently for one,” Haku replied.

 

“When will you leave?”

 

“First I'll have to show this to Yubaba, then I will depart,” the dragon replied.

 

“What should I do?” Lin asked determinedly.

 

Haku blinked. “What?”

 

“What do you want me to do while you are gone?” the brunette repeated.

 

The dragon frowned thoughtfully. “I will ask Yubaba to send envoys to all the other barrier points. Will you oversee that?”

 

“Of course,” the female spirit replied with a nod.

 

Haku smiled. “One more thing.”

 

“What?”

 

“Take a few warriors with you and check our fortifications and report your findings to Yubaba. Make sure the envoys ask the other stations to do the same and strengthen the weak points.”

 

“Consider it done.”

 

“Thank you, Lin.”

 

Lin blinked, not being used to being thanked by the aloof dragon. “No problem,” she replied hesitantly. She looked down at the prophecy in her hands again. “What about this?”

 

Haku took the parchment out of her hands and made his way to the door. “We hope we find who it speaks of before the demons do.”

 

Lin nodded.

 

“I'll be back in a few days. If I'm not back in a week, then something's happened.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Haku opened one of the double doors, but paused before leaving. “Really, thank you, Lin,” he said and then disappeared.

 

The brunette spirit was left standing in his office, staring at the open door not sure of what to think anymore. It took a few moments before she remembered she needed to go bring Kamaji his dinner.

 

Be careful, Haku. Someone as strong as you is going to have a target on his back for the demons.

 

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The rising moon shone in the night sky as Haku flew. The first stars of the night were beginning to appear and the dragon itched to fly among them, all the while knowing it to be impossible. But while he flew, even the impossible didn't seem so far away.

 

The feeling of flying in his dragon form was very liberating to Haku. In the sky he was away from all the problems of the world below. The solitude of the sky; the rush of air over his scales; the feeling of being so high up; they were all draws to flight.

 

And it didn't hurt that it was the most expedient form of transportation available to the dragon. And this night, time was of the essence. He had been flying since the day before without rest and with his goal so close he put on an extra burst of speed.

 

Looking below him, Haku noticed specks of light in the distance. He frowned.

 

The city is not usually this bright…

 

The dragon began to slowly descend toward the rapidly approaching light when the putrid smell of smoke and rotting flesh reached his sensitive nose. He blinked. The closer he came, the stronger the smell became. Soon his eyes began to water as the smoke became thick in the air. What could be causing this?

 

Regaining altitude, Haku coughed and tried to keep himself from gagging from the stench and looked below him. Specks of light encircled the large stone walls; there was an army surrounding the capital city. Haku's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath.

 

The demons had moved more quickly than expected. To imagine they had gathered such a force, breached the barriers of their banishment, and marched on the capital in such a short amount of time amazed the dragon. It would take a vast amount of power to break down those legendary barriers that had been erected since the end of the Demon Wars. When could they have amassed such a great power?

 

Haku shook his head. No matter the army, Haku still needed to see the king. Flying into the city would be dangerous, but the matter of the visit was too important not to risk it. The prophecy he had uncovered was too relevant to keep to himself. His silver scales might as well be a beacon of his location to the demons so he would need to make the descent quickly.

 

Taking a deep breath, the dragon dove for the city, speeding towards the walls at a scale-rattling rate. Below him he could hear exclamations as the demons noticed his presence. Idly he noticed this would make leaving the city very difficult. But there was no time for such thoughts now.

 

The guards on the battlements noticed his presence and immediately recognized him as an ally. They waved him towards the city and Haku pressed on. An arrow grazed his scales and the dragon ground his teeth.

 

Almost there…

 

Another arrow flew by him as he felt his talons come in contact with the stone of the battlements. To keep his momentum from sending him over the edge and plunging to the ground below, he transformed quickly back to his human form. He felt someone grab each arm to steady him; the transformation from his dragon form to his human form was very disorienting as his center of gravity and body composition changed. The faster the transformation, the more disoriented he became to the point of becoming sick - that was an experience he did not wish to repeat. When the disorientation wore off, he nodded to the two men stabilizing him and they let go.

 

“Master Haku.” Haku looked up to see the captain of the King's Guard approaching him. The river spirit recognized the man immediately and nodded his greeting. He had met Jiro Washi on several visits to the capital city and had a good respect for the man. The man was tall with a flowing cape and a long sword at his side, which he knew how to use quite well. “A messenger has been sent to the king to announce your arrival.”

 

“Thank you, Jiro,” Haku said gratefully.

 

The captain gave him a small smile before turning his gaze back to the outside of the city. “I'm surprised you were able to make it here with the siege.”

 

“How long has this been going on?”

 

Jiro sighed. “A week.”

 

“And you've already had a battle?” Haku asked, referencing the smell of decaying flesh around the capital.

 

“Yes, and we lost a lot of soldiers,” Jiro replied, gesturing for the dragon to follow him as they began to walk. “The moment the demons appeared on the horizon, the army was mobilized - it had already been on alert - and we met them.”

 

“But they drove you back into the city?” Haku filled in as they made their way down the stairs of the battlements and into the city.

 

“Yes. They have a great power backing them.”

 

“What kind of power?”

 

The captain shifted uncomfortably. “We don't know. But whatever it is, it's very destructive. A quarter of our army on the battlefield was eliminated in the blink of an eye. That was when we fell back into the city.”

 

“Have you seen any more of this power since?” Haku asked curiously.

 

“No. Since then it's been your pretty average siege,” the other said with the air of a man who saw sieges on a weekly basis.

 

“How long will you last under siege then?”

 

“Well, we have the land to farm our own crops so food shouldn't be a problem for awhile,” Jiro replied.

 

“Until you have nothing left to farm or the demons manage to destroy the lands,” Haku added.

 

“Well, yes,” the captain said with a shrug. “But the land within the city is close to the center to protect it in case of a situation like this.”

 

“So if an enemy reaches that far in, food is the least of your concerns,” Haku said with understanding.

 

Jiro nodded. “Exactly.”

 

“But?”

 

“But nothing can get in or out of the capital and that could more or less cripple the country if it goes too long.” The two spirits wound their way through the streets and to the capital building. The guards at the entrance bowed Haku and Jiro into the castle grounds.

 

“And with the main army trapped within the city, there is no resistance keeping the demons from attacking the rest of Spirit World or attempting to reach Human World,” the dragon concluded.

 

The captain nodded as they stopped outside a set of ornate double doors. “Well, whatever it is that brought you here, Haku, the king is waiting to see you in his study.” Jiro put his hands on the door handles. “I'll announce you.”

 

Haku nodded.

 

Jiro nodded and pushed the doors open. He stepped inside. “I present Nigihayami Kohakunushi, my Lord.” The captain then moved aside and Haku stepped into the room. The king stood over a map table and looked up at Haku's arrival.

 

Takeshi Taro was a powerful spirit and had reigned over the Spirit World for close to a century now. He cut an imposing figure, though he was a kind and fair ruler, while he was a machine on the battlefield. Haku had met with the kind on several occasions after regaining his memories on issues concerning his river and the bathhouse. Yubaba couldn't be bothered to make the political visits, so Haku had been forced to go in her place as co-owner of the bathhouse.

 

Haku bowed to the king. As much as such signs of fealty hurt the dragon's pride, he respected the king enough to do so. The king of the Spirit World was one of the few men Haku would ever bow to - and not just because he was the kind. Haku respected the man's power and integrity enough to follow such traditional practices that came with high position.

 

“Haku,” the king's deep voice greeted.

 

The river spirit looked back up at the king. Takeshi's face looked tired and drawn, obviously from the strain of the demon siege.

 

“What brings you here in such times of trouble, my friend?” Takeshi asked wearily. “As you can see, our current situation does not bode well for my people.”

 

“I had no idea things had moved so quickly,” Haku said.

 

“We knew the demons were gathering, but the made their move without us being aware of it and this is what became of it,” the king sighed.

 

“Had the army not been on active duty already, we might have lost the city,” Jiro added, stepping up to the table next to Haku.

 

“Do you have any idea of their motivations?” Haku asked.

 

The king shook his head. “None.”

 

“Well, that is why I'm here.”

 

Takeshi and Jiro stared at the dragon. “What are you talking about?”

 

Haku pulled out the paper on which he had translated the prophecy he had found and handed it to the king. Jiro looked at it over Takeshi's shoulder.

 

“What is this?” Takeshi asked after reading it over.

 

“I was doing some research on the Demon Wars and came across this,” Haku replied. “I translated the demon runes and this is what resulted.”

 

“A prophecy?” the captain asked.

 

“That's what it looks like,” Haku replied with a nod.

 

“And what do you suppose it means?” Takeshi asked, fixing the dragon with a level look, which Haku returned.

 

“I believe it is the reason the demons are moving now.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“They are looking for someone - the person referred to in this prophecy,” Haku supplied.

 

The king's eyes went wide with recognition. “Mine Takara…”

 

“But…” Jiro tried to argue.

 

“Her reincarnation.”

 

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Haku had taken off from the battlements of the castle into the rising sun a week before and was coming to land in Yubaba's office with the setting sun at his back. He wearily transformed back into his humanoid form and looked up to see the witch watching him. He took a seat at her desk and slumped back.

 

“Well? What happened? You said you would be gone a few days and here it is, a week later,” the witch demanded.

 

“The capital was under siege when I arrived,” Haku replied.

 

“What?”

 

“A huge number of demons had the capital surrounded and they had already had a battle. The king's army had been pushed back into the city.”

 

“Was their army that large?” Yubaba asked in surprise. “The king's army is an elite fighting force.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So what took you so long to get back?”

 

“I did some reconnaissance after I left the capital and found traces of several other armies marching in different directions. None of them were the size of the army surrounding the capital, but adding together it was at least twice the numbers,” Haku answered.

 

“Demons?” the witch asked.

 

“Most likely.”

 

“And what are they after?”

 

“The one in the prophecy, I assume,” Haku said with a shrug. “I never did find any of the other armies, only traces of them.”

 

“How could you not find an army?” Yubaba demanded.

 

Haku merely shrugged, knowing it would irritate the witch and every little bit he could annoy her after all she had done when he was without his memories was satisfying. And it did irritate the witch and she tried vainly to hide it.

 

“Fine. Where do you think they are searching for the one in the prophecy?”

 

Yubaba fixed the dragon with a level stare.

 

“I think they want to look in Human World.”

 

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Several more weeks passed.

 

Chihiro tossed and turned in her sleep, unable to find a comfortable position. In her mind's eye those familiar figures were running around the bathhouse in alarm.

 

She could smell smoke and hear the sounds of metal clashing somewhere in the distance as she watched the panic. Something inside her compelled her to want to help but deep down she knew it was only a dream and there was nothing she could do. The black haired teen she had seen so often rushed through the maze of the bathhouse and out to the front with a sheathed blade in his hands.

 

He stood on a balcony and looked out to see a large number of lights moving towards the bathhouse. He ground his teeth and Chihiro could almost taste his frustration, it emanated so strongly from him. The familiar brunette woman rushed out to the boy's side, a staff in her hands. She said something to the boy and they shared a dark look.

 

Curious as to what was coming to the bathhouse, Chihiro drifted out towards the moving mass. It was an army of thousands. She started when she realized none of them were human looking. In fact, none of them looked like those who worked in the bathhouse - many of which were obviously not human either.

 

What are they?

 

The mass stopped in front of the bathhouse and the creatures began pounding their pikes on the ground, making an intimidating racket that shook Chihiro to her very core. There was malice and hatred in those creatures; they were dangerous.

 

She looked back to the bathhouse and blinked in surprise when the workers appeared in the doors and windows and at the entrance, all armed.

 

It was going to be a battle.

 

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